, 1887-03-17
Cur Fisheries.
Written for the ARGUs.

Written for the ARaUs.
The operations OF the little fishing
steamer Quickstsp have developed
much of value and interest On the
14th of January last she arrived here
III charge of Captain W. H. Hobson.
having on board an English trawl
net, operated by Captain VIM Exon,
an experienced trawI net fisher in
English waters for the London mar
kets. The Quickstep visited many of
the bays and inlets in the upper por-
tiOns of the Sound but took few food
fish, and those mostly of the founder
or flat fish family, all larger fish hav-
ing gone into deep water during the
winter months But the trawl net
brought up tons of the great sea
slug, hOIotLtlTiG. or beetle de mer. or
trepdRg, for it is known by al these
names, as well as its Chinese name.
,rhetOng.
The bechc de mei' has for centuries
formed an important article of trade
between the Fiji and other South Sea
islands. and Canton, where it brings
high price, the Chinese using it to
make rich and palatable soup. The
best variety of trepdng is called by
the Chinese IchetOng, and is sold in
Canton at the considerable price of
from $50 to fl0O per ton, or 300.
What is commonly known as the
fifth variety, or white, brings go per
ton, or $50. These mollusks are pre-
pared in the Ladrone islands, tie
Malayan and Chinese seas, for the
Canton market They are thrown
into cauldron of boiling sea water,
where they remain from five to ten
minutes. during which time it shrinks
in size and becomes more firm and
solid. 1t Is then split open, scraped
clean and pressed flat, to exclude all
moisture, and dried, either i'll the
open air by the sun. or by means of
smoke IN the native houses and sheds
erected Tor the purpose. think they
could be dried by the Alden mt
drier and present Il better marketable
appearance.
l have known of the existence OF
these mollusks in all the waters clean
up TO Alaska for many years, but |
never have observed them except
during the summer months. Bat the
trawl net of the Quickstep has proved
that they can be taken at all times,
and as the experiment of curing some
of them as test is very inexpensive
l think it will pay our fishermen to
find out the best method of drying
these beche de mer for the Chinese
market. Zee Tai, the Chinese mer-
chant here, tells me he will give $50
a ton for properly cured whef0n9.
The trawl net also captured great
quantities of rat fish chimeru cOHcii
IA species of dog fish, the liver oil
of which IS very valuable as Il luhri-
cant of fine machinery.
The next time the Quickstep came
here she had no trawi net but deep
sea cod gill net This was about the
9th of February. 1t was TOO early
for the cod to come in shore and they
caught but few, but they caught great
quantities of dog fish-tons of them
and demonstrated tie fact that dog
fish can be taken with gill net as
well as other kinds of fish. This is
an important fact for the fish oil
manufacturers 20 know. Hitherto it
has been supposed that the dog fish
can only be taken III paying quaint
ties during the summer months, and
then only with trawl lines and baited
hooks, tut now that It has been dem
on5trated that they can be taken with
cod gill nets, there will be a great
saving IL the cost of bait and hooks.
and the time ana labor consequent on
that mode OF fishing. The gill net
OF the Quicks'ep has proved that dog
fish can be taken at all times of the
year.
When the spring advances and the
gales are over so that i will be safe
to 90 on the banks. we Will ind that
the 'rawl ngt Will take quantities OF
halihut and ether ground feeding
fish. and the gill Eet viii take cod,
salmon aud ali other varieties which
swim nearer the surface
Although the coming of the Quick
step may not Lave resulted thus far
10 the prcuniary advantage of the
prolsIietors. Vet the facts which their
cruise have developed are a great
III bic benati', which may b. the
ii. .'u- ~ !'uiiiiug up and developing
a mo; Naiu;.bl" industry. in the cur
ing of herh" az mer. making dog
fish oil during the entire wear, and
instltuting new methods of taking
deep sea fish.
JAMES c.. SWAN.